David A. KarpPC PinpointPC Pinpoint.com did fix all our test problems and didn't cost much, but we wouldn't recommend the service to less-experienced computer users or anyone genuinely nervous about a computing problem.

PC Pinpoint.com did fix all our test problems and didn't cost much, but we wouldn't recommend the service to less-experienced computer users or anyone genuinely nervous about a computing problem.

We made four attempts to reach a PC Pinpoint tech. The first two times, we were put on hold for 15 minutes, then asked to leave a message. The third time, we waited just 5 minutes, only to be told someone would call us back within the hour.

Two hours later, we tried again. This time we were placed on hold for 10 minutes while the tech helped someone else. Finally, he took our payment and contact information, then put us on hold again. Another 5 minutes to process the paymentand a few more urging us to register online and offering to call us back (we declined, citing browser problems)and the help session began.

The tech then explained that we needed to download and install PC Pinpoint's inventory software. Only then, after we had waited for more than 20 minutesa less bitter wait than if we'd been paying by the minute, but irritating all the samedid he finally ask us to describe our problems.

First we dove in to the Outlook problem. After taking several minutes to research a solution, our geek told us we needed to edit the Registry. Before we made any changes, he had us back up our Windows Registry settings; he was one of only two techs in this roundup to do this. His instructions were terse and sometimes incomplete, and he quickly grew impatient when we asked simple questions. But within a few minutes, the Outlook problem was fixed.

Next, the tech tackled the spyware, walking us through some settings in the Internet Options box. He was the only geek to ask us the address of the hijacked home page (an important step), but didn't follow through with this information to help find a specific solution.

After a few attempts to fix the problem by changing Windows settings, he asked us to download two antispyware tools and a third program to scan for viruses. But instead of walking us through what could be a daunting process for beginners, he told us simply to run the programs and call him back when we were done.

To his credit, PC Pinpoint's tech was the only one to provide direct URLs to the download files, a good way to fool the hijacker that had infected our PC. But without further instruction, many customers might not have been able to complete the task or realize if they'd done it incorrectly.

For our speaker problem, the tech started with the obvious solution, checking the various volume controls on the screen and laptop case. We then waited several minutes while he looked for PDF manuals for our laptop, before he decided that was a dead end.

At this point, we started poking around in the Control Panel, where the solution actually lay. The first thing he asked for, the text immediately under the Volume tab, was a dead giveaway: The voice dictation headset was set as the default playback device. But it took him several more minutes of rummaging and making adjustments to realize what the problem was and fix it.

An hour and 15 minutes on the phone, and PC Pinpoint had fixed two of our three problems. After hanging up, we followed the verbal instructions our geek gave us and removed the browser hijacker on our own.

Of the three services in this roundup that successfully fixed all our problems, PC Pinpoint was the most affordable. At the beginning of the call, we had a choice between a single-use "trial" call for $18 and a full year's worth of calls for $75 (to which the $18 can be applied, if you go that route first).

PC Pinpoint was our Editors' Choice last year for paid support services. Despite the sound technical advice, the long wait time and the impatient tech left us impatient ourselvesleading us to pick another winner this year, YourTechOnline.com.

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Bottom Line: PC Pinpoint.com did fix all our test problems and didn't cost much, but we wouldn't recommend the service to less-experienced computer users or anyone genuinely nervous about a computing problem.

About the Author

David A. Karp is the author of Windows Vista Annoyances (O'Reilly), as well as a dozen other books on technology. His books are available in nine languages, and can be found in bookstore shelves and under short table legs worldwide. David scored 30.96647% on the Geek Test, earning a rating of “Total Geek”; if you earned a higher score, he's not imp... See Full Bio

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